Wednesday, December 14, 2011

They say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I think folks will be glad that we’re breaking protocol and letting this news slip.

The TSA Pre✓™ pilot has expanded to the Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport and will begin today for frequent fliers traveling domestically out of Las Vegas via American and Delta airlines. Specifically, it will be at D Gates First Class screening lane.

So what are our next steps after that? In early 2012, we’ll be expanding the pilot to Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP) for Delta passengers and Los Angeles (LAX) for American Airline passengers.

If that’s not enough good news… (Drumroll please) - US Airways will be the next airline to offer TSA Pre✓™ to eligible passengers.

Last week, we announced that United Airlines would also participate in TSA Pre✓™. Stay tuned and keep checking your inbox because both US Airways and United will begin notifying their eligible frequent fliers soon, and their participation is expected to begin in early 2012. Details, including an exact start date and participating airports will be determined and announced as soon as possible.

For those who might not be familiar with TSA Pre✓™, it includes U.S. citizens who are members of existing U.S. Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler programs including Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI programs as well as eligible airline frequent flyers. You can read more about it here on our blog or at TSA.gov.

Approximately 140,000 passengers have been screened through TSA Pre✓™ since it rolled out and the feedback has been extremely positive.

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in ourOff Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog postarchives orsearch our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by usingTalk to TSA.

28 comments:

There are about 18 to 26 first class and 150 to 200 coach seats on the typical domestic flight departing Las Vegas.

Of the first class seats how many are also frequent fliers?

Why doesn't TSA do something to benefit the majority of fliers instead of the minority?

The airlines and government already know enough about each and every passenger to run an NCIC check yet this doesn't happen. Almost all concerns could be answered quickly yet TSA in all of its brilliance doesn't do the very basic, easy things for passenger screener.

TSA is stumbling around in the dark trying to look like it is doing something yet the Strip Searches, Genital Feel Ups, and other abusive screening practices continue for the majority of air travelers.

It's interesting the TSA rarely publishes a blog post which positively impacts a large percentage of American citizens. The news regarding Las Vegas is positive for a small percentage of passengers flying first class out of Las Vegas.

With the deluge of negative news eminatting from TSA encounters a reasonble person would think someone in a senior leadership position at the TSA would expedite some positive change for all law-abiding taxpaying Americans. The TSA's sense of urgency along with leadership capacity is clearly lacking. It's one of numerous problems systemic at the TSA that has become the poster child of what's broken in the United States.

How is a good background check criteria to ease checking each and every possenger? In the real world, the people that are caught selling technical and defense secrets are people that have previously been screened through intensive background investigation. Is a check on a person's past now considered guarantee of their future actions?

What of situations beyond the control of the participant? Could not a terrorist blackmail a TSA participant to do something evil? How well protected are the identities of the participants?

I for one agree that all passengers should walk through metal detectors, but their bags on the X-ray belt and nothing more. Or maybe an explosive trace swab now and then, if you get them to work so they don´t false alarm on glycerin.

Obviously that is all you need to do, or else, why are you letting these people through with no shoe, liquid or naked scanner nonsense?

Anonymous said... I don't get it.[snip] I don't see this as enhancing security.

This has nothing to do with enhancing security. This program is about public relations. To just remove some the the current security procedures they would have to first admit that they were a mistake. That will never happen.

What they are doing is allowing the people who fly the most and have the most to complain about to avoid some of the nonsense. This is really about protecting the TSA. Don't anger the rich frequent fliers who have the power to cause trouble to the TSA.

[[In the real world, the people that are caught selling technical and defense secrets are people that have previously been screened through intensive background investigation.]]

In the real world, plane are not brought down, nor are they flown to Cuba, by having receipts for industrial or national espionage. You are confusing the issue.

I worked in a federal building in 1994 - during the Murrah-OKC fiasco. Immediately after, they started opening briefcases, lunch bags, purses ... When asked why, they said "We want to prevent another Oklahoma City..."

Well, if you want to prevent another Oklahoma City, then close the street out front at both ends of the block and close the parking lots on the side of the building; OKC was not an "inside job" carried in a brown paper bag. It was a truck parked outside.

A building can't be blown up with a lunch box. If you believe it can, you've been reading too many Tom Clancy novels.

How is a good background check criteria to ease checking each and every possenger? In the real world, the people that are caught selling technical and defense secrets are people that have previously been screened through intensive background investigation. Is a check on a person's past now considered guarantee of their future actions?

What of situations beyond the control of the participant? Could not a terrorist blackmail a TSA participant to do something evil? How well protected are the identities of the participants?

I don't see this as enhancing security.

December 14, 2011 8:05 PM

..................TSA claims its employees don't need to be screened because they have had background checks.

If it is good enough for TSA employees it should be good enough for all!

This is not going to placate the millions of people who have been touched inappropriately, had their valuables stolen, or had their grandmothers' underwear removed. Not enough. By a long shot. The TSA will never improve its public image until the unwelcome sexual touching stops.

NUF said... HAHA.. I'll never get tired of saying it.. YOU CAN NEVER WIN WITH ALL THESE NEGATIVE "BLOGGERS." It doesn't matter what TSA does, all of you (the negative ones) will never be happy. NUF said.

December 15, 2011 10:32 AM

............

How are your postings any different than those you are complaining about Nuf?

"TSA claims its employees don't need to be screened because they have had background checks.

If it is good enough for TSA employees it should be good enough for all!"

Agreed. TSOs may have been subjected to a National Agency Check but they do not hold security clearances. For those of us who have been subjected Single Scope Background Investigations should be screening the TSOs, not the other way around.

Let me explain it to those who are unfamiliar with Las Vegas security lines. At terminal one there is a massive screening area for all D Gates. D Gates serves most domestic airlines in Vegas. Adjacent to the D Gates is "C Gates" and "D Gates First Class". So if you qualify for Pre-check you use the "D Gates First Class" line , because that is where the TSA has set up the Pre-check screening area. It is not only for first class passengers. Now we just need to get Southwest on board.

The reason I no longer fly is not because of terrorism, and it never will be. I'm not scared of anyone, and I'm certainly not terrorized by anyone, so what makes them terrorists? What a crock... Just so you have an excuse to violate privacy even further? I guarantee in any real situation a plane full of angry Americans will take out a few terrorists with box cutters. Gimme a break...

I think "TSA Precheck" is an incredible idea!!! Now when will we be able to expand it to our highways???

I've heard that literally thousands of people drive while armed every year, and that some of them even end up killing other people!!!!!!!!!!

We need background checks to insure that I'm not sharing the same highway with these people!!!!!!! Please immediately start investigating anyone who would like to drive. I am sooooooo scaaaaaaaaaaaared! But I'm not a coward!!!!!

Again.. Not a TSO. Us positive bloggers are NOT all TSOs... We are NOT like you (NEGATIVE). But, again. You'll never win with the negative ones. HAHA. And, you can post as much as you want, you will not change the outcome. NUF said.

Does TSA eventually plan on expanding this program to all airports and the majority of passengers (even those who are not elite frequent fliers) who want to participate? If not, it will be nothing more than a meaningless PR exercise.

I think that this is a great idea. To have people who travel regularly be pre-screened so that they don't have to go through all the normal security checkpoints. It helps those who travel often, and also helps shorten the lines for the rest of us who do need to go through the normal checkpoints. I believe the TSA will see and hear plenty of good feedback about this.

Why doesn't TSA do something to benefit the majority of fliers instead of the minority?

The airlines and government already know enough about each and every passenger to run an NCIC check yet this doesn't happen. Almost all concerns could be answered quickly yet TSA in all of its brilliance doesn't do the very basic, easy things for passenger screener. I am wondering about this.